


The Unseen Roommate

by ResidentAnchor



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: A tiny bit of Patton, Ghost!Virgil, Human AU, I should add more tags, I want to add one but it's kind of a spoiler?, Logan only really gets mentioned, Oh well here goes nothing, roommate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 16:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResidentAnchor/pseuds/ResidentAnchor
Summary: Roman, Patton, and Logan put out an ad for a fourth roommate, but he never leaves his room. Ever. He's kind of weird.





	The Unseen Roommate

Roman wasn't too sure about their new roommate. Sure, Patton said they all needed to give him a fair chance since none of them had much interaction with him, but it all felt off. No person spent that much time alone in their room alone, closed off and silent other than a few banging noises and creaking sounds in the middle of the night. Talking to Logan was also completely helpless. Although he was the only one to have talked to the stranger, he didn't care about getting to know the man as long as he paid his share of the rent on time. So what if he was shy and a bit reclusive? All was well in their little abode.

Roman wasn't going to simply let it go. Patton was okay with knocking and checking on this 'Virgil' but Roman wasn't content with shouts through a wall. I mean, he didn't even have the audacity to open up and talk to them, how utterly rude! He snuck into the apartment in the middle of the night without a word or any sort of greeting. A few times, Roman would knock and invite the stranger out to eat, which would either go unanswered or just be declined. Roman started getting upset as he would huff and stomp away from the door. One day, he knocked and threw an insult, only to have one tossed back his way.

It became a new thing for the two of them. Roman would no longer invite 'Virgil' out anymore but would knock and throw a joke or two and make small talk before going about his day as if nothing happened. He started only knocking at nights where he would always get an answer, and sometimes Patton would even join if he wasn't so tired. Logan would make a comment as he walked by and everyone got used to their strange interactions with their roommate.

Tonight, Roman leaned back against the door, deep into a discussion about the latest movie he just went and saw, explaining it in full since Virgil said he never really liked seeing movies in theaters. Too many people, too loud, the seats usually weren't that comfortable and the rooms usually smelled of old soda and stale popcorn.

"I can't wait for it to come out on DVD or something, sounds interesting," Virgil called from the other side of his door.

"Oh yes! I am so getting it when it does! We can set up space in the living room to watch it together! Or, in your room. If you want, that is, no pressure!" Roman sat, listening closely through the door. He always did this, even when he didn't mean to. He would have a slip of the tongue and mention them hanging out together and not through a door, but Roman was always shot down. He never tried it often, but every once in a while he just couldn't help himself.

"I dunno, Roman."

"No, sorry!" Roman turned and placed a hand on the door. "It was a slip-up, think nothing of it!" He waited, hoping to hear anything from the other side of the door. "Please, let's just forget I ever said anything. I was enjoying just talking to you."

"Don't get all mushy on me now." Roman could hear the laughter at the edge of Virgil's tone and he sighed happily. "You'll start sounding like a rom-com."

"Don't talk to me about that. You don't listen to any music after 2008!"

He heard Virgil chuckle through the door. "Amy Lee sings like an angel and I will fight you on that!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Patton walked up, smiling at Roman who sat against the door with a pillow at his back, laughing at whatever Virgil had just said. "Dinner time." He shifted the plate he held in his hands. "Go wash up and eat, Roman." Roman huffed but got up, knocking and saying goodbye to Virgil as he did. "I brought you a plate, Virgil!" Patton placed the food right outside his door as he did every night. It was always gone in the morning despite how many times Virgil had promised Patton he could get food himself and didn't need Patton cooking for him. "I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks, Pat." Patton smiled and gave Virgil's door a quick knock himself. A little habit they started to show they were walking up or away from his door to talk just to get his attention. Virgil heard Patton's footsteps walk away before letting out a heavy sigh.

\---

It was late at night a few days later when Roman suddenly got up, stomach growling at him before. He hoped a small snack before bed would have been enough instead of eating a full meal but his stomach seemed to disagree. Deciding a second snack was necessary to hold him over until the morning, Roman got up from his bed and rubbed his eyes before dragging his feet across his carpeted floor.

He was already in the kitchen before his tired brain registered someone else in there with him. He stopped and blinked, seeing the back of a person he didn't recognize slowly turn around and stare back at him. Roman blinked a few more times and suddenly found himself alone in the kitchen. Confused, he rubbed his eyes once more and looked around, confirming he was completely alone in the room.

"Great," he mumbled to himself. "Hey, if you're a ghost you can live here but you better pay rent like the rest of us." Roman walked further into the kitchen, heading straight for the cupboard.

He had opened the door and pulled out a box before he heard a chuckle behind him, surprising him and causing him to jump. He spun around and dropped the box, coming face to face with the stranger once more. "Well, princey. I do pay rent so I hope you're okay with that."

"What?" Roman blinked, looking at the man in front of him a bit closer. He was dressed in baggy clothes and skinny jeans that seemed ripped on purpose, hair hanging partially in his face. "You look like an emo nightm-," Roman froze midsentence, replaying his words in his head. "V-virgil?"

The man gave a two-fingered salute. "Yo."

Roman blinked and then smiled, taking half a step closer. "You actually came out of your room! Nice to finally meet you face to face."

"Sort of." Virgil shrugged, looking back down at the box Roman had dropped.

"Sort of?" Roman asked. "What do you mean by that?"

Virgil held a hand out and the box suddenly flew up into his hand. "Granola bars, hm? You know, midnight snacks are supposed to be junk food you can eat while no one is around to judge you, right?"

Roman stared at his roommate speechless, looking at the box and back at Virgil, gaping like a fish out of water. "What, you, how-huh?"

Virgil fell back slowly before stopping midair, crossing his leg over the other and posing as if he were sitting back in a comfy chair. "Well, you said it was okay for me to be a ghost as long as I was paying rent."

"You're a ghost?" Roman reached back and grabbed the counter, using it to hold himself up. "H-how...?"

Virgil rolled his eyes and reached out for the box, pulling out a granola bar and tossing it over to Roman. "I died. It's kind of the most important step to becoming a ghost."

Roman didn't catch the granola bar, though he did flounder after it before it fell to the ground. He reached up and picked it off of the floor, staring down at the wrapper before glancing back up. "Where do you have money to pay rent?"

Virgil shrugged and tossed the box casually onto the counter. "Parents left me with a lot of money. I don't think anyone has found me yet, so no one froze my bank account. I've been using it to pay rent here. I mean, yeah, I could haunt you guys but this just seems easier."

"How did you-," Virgil shot Roman an intense glare and he held up his hands defensively. "Sorry, won't ask how you died, I get it. So, w-what about the food Patton leaves out for you?"

"I toss it out. Or go to that dumpster just a few blocks over really late and leave it for the homeless guy in the alley. I just bring the plate back." Virgil placed his hands behind his head. "I had to make you think I at least ate and eventually came out of my room or I wouldn't exactly pass as human."

Roman shook his head and looked over at his floating roommate. "So you're just a random ghost who pays rent and haunts a bedroom?"

Virgil suddenly froze, locking up and sitting up straighter in the air. "Well, sort of. I mean." He leaned forward and stood back on the ground, folding his arms and rubbing them as if he were cold. "I could just be a freeloading ghost, but this way is just nicer for everyone, right?"

Roman blinked at Virgil and suddenly felt a sense of ease wash over him. This was the Virgil he had been talking to for all this time. The one he'd made friends with through a door. Just the thought caused him to smile before he covered his mouth, letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh, oh my. Never have I thought I'd meet a ghost who paid rent to live with humans because he was lonely!"

"Hey!" Virgil would have blushed if he were living, Roman was sure of it.

"Speaking of," Roman took a step closer and squinted through the dark. "I thought you could see through ghosts?"

Virgil ducked his head back a bit. "You can. I spend all my time incorporeal, so I decided when you accidentally saw me, I would at least take the energy of looking tangible."

Roman nodded and smiled. "You do care!" His smile dropped a bit and he placed a hand on his chin. "What were you even doing out here?"

"Returning Patton's plate from dinner." Virgil smiled and turned towards the sink. "I was outed by dishware. You normally aren't up this late."

"Oh my gosh, I can't wait to tell the others in the morning!" Roman jumped in excitement. "Patton's going to be so happy to see you! Oh, and Logan's going to flip, it's going to be great!"

Virgil shuffled a bit before looking up at Roman. "You think they'll like me?"

Roman scoffed and smiled over at the ghostly roommate. "You're a friendly ghost, like an emo Casper! If anything it just adds to the aesthetic you have!"

Virgil snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Yeah, I guess. If you think they won't be too freaked out..."

"Patton will be upset he can't cook for you and Logan will probably be more concerned about that bank account of yours that's somehow paying us rent more than it's a ghost doing it." Roman rolled his eyes and unwrapped his granola bar. "What kind of ghost pays rent instead of haunting anyway?"

**Author's Note:**

> This little Ghost!Virgil short I wrote went over well on tumblr and I decided to bring it over here. <3


End file.
